Reznet

Hand Gamesmanship

By Jennifer Kirby | Audio slideshow by Adam Sings In The Timber and Emily Haas for CrowNews.Net

LODGE GRASS, Mont.--Families and friends gathered here on a recent Saturday night for an informal hand game tournament. Seven teams paid the $100 entry fee, hoping to win the $700 prize.

Albert Gros Ventre, the announcer at the event, explained that tournaments like these occur frequently and sometimes address a need in the community. Lodge Grass is located on Montana's Crow Reservation.

“We’ve had a number of deaths here recently, so we offer the prayer to get rid of bad vibes," Gros Ventre said. "Then we can have fun and have a good time."

Drumming, singing and smoke filled the community building on the edge of town as players prepared to confuse their opponents.

Play began around 10 p.m. The first round took nearly 45 minutes. “We might be here until five in the morning,” Gros Ventre said.

Observers unfamiliar with the game may find it hard to follow. Which players are hiding elk teeth? Who’s up to guess this time? Are the sticks divided up between the teams already? Who’s winning?

If the rules are complicated, the strategy of the game is unfathomable to the untrained eye.

Tylis Bad Bear, a young hand game player, offered his version of what it takes to be a good player.

“Just experience," he said. "There are certain things you have to look for. Everyone has their own way of guessing.”

This story and audio slideshow were originally published by CrowNews.net and are used with permission. CrowNews.Net is a community online newspaper serving the town of Crow Agency, Mont., and the Apsaalooke nation. It is produced by tribal members, people involved with communities on the Crow Reservation and the Rural News Network at the University of Montana's School of Journalism.