The Native American Game Chunkey (which also goes by Chunky, Chenco, Tchung-kee, or the Hoop and Stick Game) has similarities to sports like shuffleboard or bocce ball. Another version of this game was played in the Northeast, known as the hoop and pole game. The game aims to get a throwing spear as close to a moving disc-shaped target as possible. One player would roll the stone, and another player(s) would throw their spear before the stone stopped. The spear closest to it would receive a point, and in some varieties, two points of the spear went into a hole carved in the middle of the stone. There were wide varieties of how this game was played depending on the region and which Native American group was playing. These groups included the creators, the Cahokians, and other tribes like the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Mandan, to name a few.
Some versions were more skill-based, with limited movement and accuracy coming at a premium. In contrast, other versions required running and more closely resembled hunting techniques. Some versions required an underhand throwing motion to make the spear slide on the ground. In contrast, other versions replicated the javelin-style toss of a spear. Some Chunkey sticks had markings or leather pieces, which helped decide the round's scoring. What they all had in common was a rolling stone used as a target and spear-shaped projectiles as the main throwing object. Games were played to a point total as low as seven (a significant number for Cherokee) or as high as twenty-one for other tribes.
The game originated in the Cahokia region in southern Illinois, across the border from St. Louis, Missouri. While it is still a several-hour drive, all things considered, this area is relatively close to me. It's close enough that students from my school will visit the Cahokia pyramid called Monks Mound, which is the tallest in North America. Its impressive structure served as a capital city for Native Americans from all over the country to meet, trade, barter, converse, argue, and more. It is unknown how the different tribes combined to make a central authority to create such a massive structure and urban town surrounding it. This capital would be the catalyst for a cultural exchange that would rival the empires of Mesoamerica. There were surprising similarities to Mesoamerican peoples, like the cultural traditions of human sacrifice, the construction of giant obelisks, tales of supernatural beings, and advanced astronomic observations. This Mississippian culture would also push the agricultural revolution of maize cultivation, which significantly changed the diet and allowed for a population boon.
Emissaries from Cahokia presented themselves with a Chunkey stone in one hand and a war club in the other. This symbolizes the decision presented to the people they interacted with: the Chunkey stone is peace, and the war club is violence. The Chunkey game would allow the Mississipain people to enforce peace, or Pax Cahokia, within large regions of North America. This is inevitably how the sport spread so far across North America and even bordering parts of Mexico. Chunkey was a popular game and a symbol of peace and unity between the tribes.
Similar to the Mesoamerican Ball Game of Central America, an essential feature of this game was that it could be used to settle disputes between individuals or possibly even tribes on a local level. This is a remarkably peaceful solution to conflict resolution, which, most importantly, avoids bloodshed and death. As long as individuals and tribes abided by the result, this was an excellent way of dealing with territorial disputes, hunting rights, and other important issues of the day. Also, similar to the Mesoamerican Ball Game, there were copious amounts of betting on the result. This feature of the game is so intertwined with its history that it would be disingenuous not to mention its prominence within the game culture of Chunkey. One fact that always popped up within my research was that it was common for players to become destitute after betting everything and losing, which could result in desperation and suicide. While I do mention to my lower elementary students that the Native Americans often gambled on the outcome of the game (the way people gamble on games today), I use it as a cautionary tale to not gamble with anything you don’t want to lose while not volunteering the suicide component of the story.
The primary materials of the game were a rolling stone and throwing spears. The rolling stones ranged from two to eight inches in diameter. They resembled modern hockey pucks, sometimes with a small hole in the middle. Another interesting feature of the stone was that the center was carved and shaped so that it was either convex or concave to the stone. These stone shapings were done so well that it is hard to replicate today without machine tools, making these stones a work of art. The spears would range in length from six to ten feet in length. The wood material used was based on the available tree sources in the area. It was often made of hickory or poplar wood.
One will find a falcon dancer and warrior within the traditional iconography found in artifacts associated with the game Chunkey. This adorned figure is usually portrayed as rolling the playing stone. Often there are throwing spears, which may appear broken, possibly symbolizing the end of the game. Similar to the game, many variations of this figure are found all over the southeast and Midwest of North America. Additionally, Chunkey players often wore ritualistic clothes and face paint depending on the importance of the game.
The game was famous for nearly a thousand years (600 – 1500 CE). However, there is a modern revival movement to learn and play the game amongst several Native American populations. One of those tribes is the Cherokee, who most commonly make their spears of river cane. River cane was used in making almost everything for the Cherokee people, and it became a symbol of the people themselves. According to Danny McCarter, a museum interpreter for the Cherokee National History Museum, river cane can be ripped, transplanted, and moved, but it will always be able to grow and prosper, which is analogous to the Cherokee people.
We play Chunkey in PE for several reasons. First, it is a lot of fun, and your lower elementary students will love it. The students also get a deep dive into a sport that had so much relevance to the culture of Native American tribes that lived in the Midwest and Southeast of the United States. We play the game to honor the heritage of the Native Americans and to preserve a fun and fundamental part of the culture of many tribes in the land, which is now the United States. I hope your students enjoy this sport as much as mine did!
Materials:
· An ample open space (such as a gym or field)
· Lots of hula hoops
o At least one per three students
· Lots of pool noodles
o You should have enough for two-thirds of your class at any given time. One per student is best.
o For organizational purposes, if the pool noodle colors can match the hula-hoop colors, it will make your life easier.
· Rubber disc dots
o Same number (and color, if possible) as the hula hoops
Minimum Number of Students Needed: This lesson can be done with as few as three students. For full-sized classes, make groups of three and spread them out through the playing area. If resources are limited, groups of four can work as well.
Prior Knowledge: The students should have learned about Native Americans or are studying North America.
Warm-Up Game #1
Hula Hoop Rolling
· Arrange your students into groups of three.
· If you are in a gym, place rubber disc dots on a sideline so a court line is in front of them. If you are outside, just ensure enough space between the rollers.
· One at a time, the students will roll the hula hoops down the line to the best of their ability. The farther the hoop travels down the line, the better the roll. It is ok if the hoop diverges from the line a little, but the goal is to get it to roll in a straight line. Students can evaluate how good their roll was by how close it was to their line and how far it traveled.
· Once a player rolls the hoop, they should retrieve it and give it to the next player. Then they go to the end of the line and await their turn.
· Play this game for three to five minutes.
Warm-Up Game #2
Pool Noodle Throwing
· In groups of three, one at a time, the students will throw their pool noodles like a javelin as far and straight as possible.
· I tell the students to make a duck mouth and turn it straight up for cueing. They need to open its mouth wide and then place the pool noodle inside. They want their elbow bent with the noodle at about ear length.
o If they throw from this position, it is similar to throwing a dart, which is accurate for a very close throw.
o If they want to throw farther, they must take a step forward with their non-dominant leg and turn their body, similar to how they would throw a ball. The point-step-throw model works well here. As they take the step, they straighten their throwing arm back like a javelin. Then, when the front foot touches, they shift power from their legs and hips as they rotate their body in conjunction with the throwing motion to produce force. This will send more power into the noodle and should travel farther.
§ However, many students will notice the noodle does not fly as well when they throw them as hard as possible. This is because they need to remember to throw the noodle the way they would throw a model airplane, and creating an even gliding flight path for the noodle is more important than the force applied to it.
· Play this game for three to five minutes.
Full Presentation
Version #1
· Within the groups of three, two students will have noodles, and one will have a hula hoop. The noodle players should be on either side of the hula hoop player, who stands on the rubber disc dot in between them.
· The hula hoop player rolls the hoop as straight as possible down the line. When the hoop is released, the students, standing in place and holding pool noodles, throw them to where they think the hula hoop will eventually stop.
· The noodle closest to the lying hoop is the round winner. If the noodles are equidistant to the hoop, it is a tie.
· The throwers must throw before the hoop stops rolling. If they fail to do so, the other player automatically wins the round.
· The unpredictability of the rolling hoop makes this game very fun. However, the roller should avoid trying tricky rolls on purpose. Sometimes what would appear to be a perfect throw does not win if the hoop rolls in a strange way that goes closer to a not-so-good throw.
· After each attempt, the students should rotate positions and play again.
Version #2
· Within the groups of three, two students will have noodles, and one will have a hula hoop. The noodle players should be on either side of the hula hoop player, who stands on the rubber disc dot in between them. The noodle players should be about five to ten feet behind the roller.
· The hula hoop player rolls the hoop as straight as possible down the line. When the hoop is released, the noodle students chase the rolling hoop and throw them at the hoop, trying to touch it with their noodles. The noodle must be thrown. The students cannot just touch the hoop holding onto the noodle.
· The first player to touch the hoop with a throw wins. If a player misses, they can pick up the noodle and try again. However, most games are decided before a second throw is made.
· If neither player hits the hoop before it falls to the ground, it is a tie.
· There are no points if a player throws the noodle through the hoop. However, if the hoop falls on a noodle inside of it, that counts as a point.
· The throwers must throw before the hoop stops rolling. If they fail to do so, the other player automatically wins the round.
· The unpredictability of the rolling hoop makes this game very fun. However, the roller should avoid trying tricky rolls on purpose. Sometimes what would appear to be a perfect throw does not win if the hoop rolls in a strange way that goes closer to a not-so-good throw.
· The is an element of risk and reward in this game. The sooner a player decides to throw the javelin, the more difficult the throw is, but the better the chance their spear hits the noodle first. On the other hand, if a player waits and runs close to the hoop, it will be easier to strike it, but the waiting may allow the other player to hit it first.
· After each attempt, the students should rotate positions and play again.
Aims:
Direct: For the students to learn and play several versions of Chunkey
Indirect:
Listening to directions
Decision Making
Strategy
Sportsmanship
Physical skills practiced:
· Rolling a hula hoop
· Throwing a pool noodle
· Running
Control Of Error:
If you are in a gym, the lines on the gym will help the students gauge how accurate their rolls and throws are for the mini-games. For the games themselves, the students will be able to see the proximity of their pool noodles to where the hoop finally falls. If a player makes contact with the hoop with their noodle, it usually makes an audible noise.
Cultural Connections:
Valued risk versus reward:
Age: All Ages, but works best with lower elementary
Bibliography:
America's first pastime - Archaeology Magazine Archive. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://archive.archaeology.org/0909/abstracts/pastime.html
BARKReporter, L. I. N. D. S. E. Y. (2020, August 27). Chunkey: A game of stones. cherokeephoenix.org. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/culture/chunkey-a-game-of-stones/article_cdca67ea-6e61-5457-9309-500d1c95183f.html
Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). Chunkey. PBS. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.pbs.org/native-america/extras/chunkey/
Native American chunkey. Health and Fitness History. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://healthandfitnesshistory.com/ancient-sports/native-american-chunkey/
The chunkey game. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2023, from http://peace.saumag.edu/swark/crossroads/chunkey-game.html
YouTube. (2020, October 27). The game of chunkey with Tonya Wapskineh. YouTube. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpccDCKeQts
YouTube. (2022, May 11). Cherokee game of Chunkey. YouTube. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDR2_oHtpJ0
YouTube. (2021, February 19). Cherokee traditional games: Chunkey. YouTube. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBny0vl_4KQ
Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, July 14). Chunkey. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chunkey