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 astronomical 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 Mississippian 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, copious amounts of betting were 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 rolling stones 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 exciting 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 shapes 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. 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 Cherokee National History Museum museum interpreter, river cane can be ripped, transplanted, and moved. Still, 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. Make groups of three for full-sized classes and spread them out through the playing area. If resources are limited, groups of four can work as well.

Age: All Ages, but works best with lower elementary