DIBAAJIMOWIN
  • Home
  • Dibaajimowin Blog
  • The People
  • Michif Language
  • Ojibwe Language
  • Books
  • Colorized Photos
  • GIS Mapping
    • Metis Community Map
    • US & Canadian Reservations
  • Blog Archives
    • Tawn Kaayaash
    • Metis Stories
    • Women's Stories
    • Elder Stories
    • Family Stories
    • School Stories
    • Love Stories
    • Legend Stories
  • Virtual Library

Tawn Kaayaash

Winter Snake Game

12/24/2017

2 Comments

 
One of the most interesting games played by the Ojibwe was a winter game called Gamaagiwebiinigewin, or Snow Snake

The game is played using a long wooden rod on frozen snow and ice. It has been played by the Ojibwe for hundreds of years, and is still played in winter tournaments on some reservations.  Snow snakes are also beautiful objects that can be decorated in various ways.

Picture
The object of the game is to see how far you can slide a snake across the snow, usually within a "trough" that has been built up and then grooved by dragging a log to create a shallow trench/track. Players take several steps towards the beginning of the track, then throw or toss the snow snake into the track with an underhand motion.  The trick is to use enough power to get the snake to slide a long way down the track without using so much force that it jumps the track and goes foul.
Picture
​Some ceremonial aspects of the game have been documented as well, with each team singing songs that would increase luck for their team and cause bad luck for the other team.  

Do you do snow snake where you live? If not, could it be revived as a sport?
​
(See Games of the North American Indians by Stewart Culin, 1907.)
2 Comments
Jerry Palmer
2/22/2019 01:22:11 pm

I guess in the south we could try a sand snake.

Reply
andrea chrisjohn
2/26/2019 06:49:38 am

My dad, who was Iroquois, used to make these when i was a kid in the 70s, here in upstate NY. I haven’t thought about them until i saw this post

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    A collaborative effort of members of the Ojibwe and Metis communities

    Archives

    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

About Dibaajimowin

Dibaajimowin was created as a way to share interesting and unique stories and other information about the Metis and Ojibwe people (and others) so that these can be used by our guests to educate themselves and others about the history, culture, and language of the people.

We hope you enjoy everything you find here and are glad to have you return in the future. If you are interested in using our content for educational or personal purposes, please give proper attribution and credit to our page. It is important that we acknowledge the tellers of stories and the creators of intellectual property in all forms.

​Please enjoy! See you soon.

Contact Us

    Subscribe Today!

Submit
Photo used under Creative Commons from trendingtopics
  • Home
  • Dibaajimowin Blog
  • The People
  • Michif Language
  • Ojibwe Language
  • Books
  • Colorized Photos
  • GIS Mapping
    • Metis Community Map
    • US & Canadian Reservations
  • Blog Archives
    • Tawn Kaayaash
    • Metis Stories
    • Women's Stories
    • Elder Stories
    • Family Stories
    • School Stories
    • Love Stories
    • Legend Stories
  • Virtual Library