Stick Game

 
Origin:Blackfoot Nation in Montana
History:The Blackfoot are typical of the Plains Indians in many aspects of their culture. They were nomadic hunter-gatherers, who lived in tepees. Their games were simplified for reasons of travel; the dice used were portable and the point system was memorized.
Original Materials:4 bones (buffalo ribs); counting sticks
Adapted Materials:4 popsicle sticks- dice; 12 toothpicks- counting sticks
Players:2 players or teams
Setup:Decorate one side of the 4 sticks with red or black pens as shown.

To Play:Hold the 4 stick dice in 1 hand and drop them to the ground. One player keeps tossing until they toss a 0 point value.
To Score:Certain patterns correspond to point values. Players take the tally sticks first from the pile then from each other. The object is to earn all 12 tally sticks.

Math Content:Probability, patterns and relations, data management.
Source:Carlson L. (1994). More Than Moccasins, Chicago Il: Chicago Review Press. ISBN 1-55652-213-4.

 



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