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Cherokee stickball

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description Cherokee stickball Overview

Cherokee stickball is a traditional Indigenous team game maintained by Cherokee communities in the southeastern United States. Players carry paired wooden sticks fitted with small netted cups and use them to catch, carry, and propel a ball toward a scoring target, with rules differing among communities and forms of play. The game has ceremonial, social, and competitive significance and was documented in detail by ethnographer James Mooney in the late nineteenth century.

help Cherokee stickball FAQ

How is Cherokee stickball different from modern lacrosse?

Cherokee stickball is played with two netted sticks rather than the single stick used in modern field lacrosse, and it carries deep ceremonial and spiritual significance tied to Cherokee tradition. It is sometimes called 'the little brother of war' because historically it could settle disputes between communities in place of armed conflict.

Who documented the Cherokee stickball tradition in the 1890s?

James Mooney, an ethnographer with the Bureau of American Ethnology, conducted a detailed study of the Cherokee ball play around 1890. His fieldwork among the Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina remains one of the most thorough early accounts of the game's rituals, equipment, and rules.

Is Cherokee stickball still played today?

Yes, stickball remains a living tradition among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and other Southeastern tribes. Games are still played at community gatherings and cultural events, preserving elements of the ceremonial practices Mooney documented over a century ago.

What equipment do players use in Cherokee stickball?

Each player carries two hickory sticks with small leather or sinew netting at the end, used to catch, carry, and throw a woven ball. The sticks are often made by hand and are considered personal, sometimes spiritually significant, objects.

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