656 GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS [B®TH. ann. 24 
ATHAPASCAN STOCK 
Hera. Hupa valley, California. (Cat. no. 37208, Free Museum of 
Science and Art, University of Pennsylvania.) 
Implements for the game of miskatokitch: Two small bottle-shaped 
billets of wood (figure 863), with a knob at each end, attached 
to each other by a double thong 3 inches in length; and a slender 
stick (figure 864), or bat, of hardwood, 32 inches in length, 
slightly curved at the end. Collected by the writer in 1900. 
The billets are called yatomil, while the long sticks are called by 
the same name as the game.? 
Dr J. W. Hudson describes another form of this game: 
A dumb-bell-shaped piece of buckskin, with big knots at each end, is jerked 
with a rod to a tree goal. The buckskin is held in the mouth by one captain, 
who finally drops it between the opponents. There are three players to a side. 
The game is characterized by fierce interference. 
Fig. 864. 
Fic. 863. Double billets; length of each, 3 inches; Hupa Indians, Hupa valley, California; cat. 
no, 37208, Free Museum of Science and Art, University of Pennsylvania. 
Fic. 864. Sticks for double-billet game; length, 32 inches; Hupa Indians, California; cat. no, 
87208, Free Museum of Science and Art, University of Pennsylvania 
A Crescent City Indian whom the writer met at Arcata, California, 
in 1900 gave the name of the tied billets as naustais and that of the 
long sticks, or bats, as naustaischin; let us play, natithis. 
Dr Pliny Earle Goddard ® says: 
The Hupa have four games. One of these very much resembles shinny. 
The contestants are not individuals, but social or ethnic units. Village is pitted 
against village or tribe against tribe. The shinny stick, called mitkitiktte, is 
about 5 feet long, or, more exactly, the length of the leg of the player. It has 
a natural turn at the end. Two round sticks about 5 inches long tied together 
with a piece of buckskin are used for a ball. They are called yademil. A 
straight course is laid out with a stake at each end. At least six players take 
their places in pairs, two at the middle and two at the points halfway between 
the middle and the stakes. The pair at the middle have the balls. Those at 
the other points stand facing each other with interlocked sticks. They are 
said “to tie” each other. One of the two at the middle of the course takes the 
two balls in his teeth. Suddenly he drops them and tries to drive them toward 
“Dr Pliny BE. Goddard gave the writer the names as follows: Long sticks, mil-té-tuk- 
ketsh ; tied sticks, ya-té-mil. 
> Life and Cuiture of the Hupa, p. 60, Berkeley, 1903. 
