l80 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Games 



Two or three games were played by most of our aborigines, east 

 and west, but with modifications. Some may be briefly noticed. 

 Among these the Iroquois game of the deer buttons or bones hardly 

 has a place in speaking of the uses of wood, and its mention will 

 be brief. It is more fully treated in the writer's paper on Iroquois 

 games, Journal of American Folk-Lore for 1896. 



It is a fireside game in which eight bone buttons are used, about 

 an inch in diameter and blackened or spotted on one side. No dish 

 is used, but the buttons are scattered with the hand. From this 

 comes the Onondaga name, ta-ydu-nytm-wat'-hah, or finger-shaker. 

 The Senecas call it gtis-ga-c-sa'-ta. Two white or two black count 

 two, called o-yu'-ah, or the bird, Seven white or black count four, 

 called o-nco'-sah, or pumpkin. All white or black gain 20, called 

 o-hen'-tah, or a field. Beauchamp, 9 : 269 



This seems to have been formerly played with fruit stones, as 

 another noted game always has been. The latter has a public char- 

 acter and was of high esteem centuries ago. Brebeuf vividly 

 described the game played among the Hurons in 1636, when it was 

 known as that of the dish, because the six peach stones were always 

 shaken in this. Hence the Onondagas call it ta-yunc-oo-z^ali'-cs, 

 throwing the bowl to each other. Figure 134 shows kali-oon'-ivah, 

 the bowl, and figure 136 the peach stones. The bowl is that used 

 by the writer, and was made by the chief Ossahinta, nearly a century 

 ago. It is 11 inches across the top, 3 inches deep, and was carved 

 out of a hard knot. The stones have each a white and black side. 

 Five count a bird and six a field, with no lower counts. Morgan 

 called the game gus-ka'-eh, and gave a good description. 



The Seneca bowl, figured by Morgan, was about the same size 

 and form as the Onondaga one represented. Figure 135 is another 

 Seneca bowl, belonging to J. N. B. Hewitt of Washington D. C. 

 with the peach stones in place. This is but 9^8 inches wide, and 

 differs from the usual form. Two players place the bowl between 

 them, striking it on the ground or floor. Each plays till he loses, 

 and, when he has exhausted his allotted means, another from the 

 same side takes his place. 



