Sports & Recreation

The Creeks enjoyed competitive sports and games. Children played many games which also served to hone their skills with weapons--such as competitions with bow and arrows or blow guns which they made themselves. Boys wrestled and held foot races and tried to beat one another throwing small spears through rolling hoops. They also played games similar to rolling dice and a board game similar to Parcheesi. Everyone loved games of chance.

Chunky was a favorite competitive sport. A small stone disc would be sent on its way rolling down the chunky yard. Competitors would throw spears or shoot arrows calculated to land nearest the point where the chunky stone would stop. Many prized possessions might be wagered on the outcome of the game.

Indian ball play, or stick ball, was the most important sport among older children and adults. This extremely rough ball game is similar to La Crosse, which was patterned after it. Players used two sticks with a woven oval-shaped cup on one end to propel a small deer-hide ball down the field and into a goal. There could be 50 or more players on each team in this wild and wooly game referred to as 'The Little Brother of War.' For this ball play, the people had a passion rivaling today's sports fans. Injuries were common as the teams of different towns competed to the cheers of the people they represented. Usually this was friendly competition, in fact it was considered 'unmanly' to show anger during the game. Many times, however, the ball game held much greater significance. Major disputes between towns or neighboring clans were often settled by the outcome the ball game.