I remember walking out on the boardwalk behind the Seminole Tribal and Historic Preservation Office when I came across three guys chiseling rock and sharpening sticks. Normally, apart from Daniel Tommie making canoes at the hunting camp, there are no other demonstrators regularly present, so I seized this opportunity to inquire and introduce myself. Upon asking, they gave me a breakdown of the traditional game of Chunkey, a recreation involving the use of a discoidal stone rolled across the ground while participants competed to throw a lance or spear where they thought the stone would stop rolling.
Chunkey Origins
Playing Benefits
What you need to play:
Not much discrimination needs to be used in choosing a stone, though humans seem to have a universal habit of attributing higher value towards objects of higher density and mass. Regular limestone can be easily pecked, as can some marl, and next any long and slender stick or wood can be used as a lance or makeshift spear. One day soon we might incorporate making and using these tools for a class, which sounds like it’ll be a blast! Obviously, the stakes won’t be as high as the players girlfriend or car, but perhaps we can offer some local food or Jaden’s prized gorge hooks!
References