What Is The Game Of Lacrosse Which The Plains Indians Often Played?

In the societies of The Indians who lived in the West, games often satisfied the spirit of competition. The most intriguing and dramatic of all Indian games was lacrosse, which was brought from the East by the Choctaws. The name lacrosse, which came from French traders, referred to the webbed sticks used to carry and throw a wooden deerskin ball. In the Choctaw version of the game, each of the hundreds of barefoot players wielded two such sticks. Before the game began, an elaborate ceremony unfolded on the playing field. Team members assembled around their respective goals. At the beating of drums and chants from the women, the play started. The game began with a thunderous rush, and all players endeavoured to catch the ball in their sticks and throw it home and between their respective stakes. Players were often dressed in ceremonial garb. Competitors would sport a horsehair tail and two sticks.