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Show KTeIVALRV RENEWED . . . Mayhem was the password of hen Cherokee Indians renewed the game of stickball, a sports Ld hundreds of years old, at the annual Cherokee, N. C, fair. IgjjjjlTED STATES Hem Prevails as Indians lew Ancient Competition 1 WNU Features. EROKEE, N. C. Cherokee Indians smile politely at B football traditions which have pitted teams against her, at the longest count, for only two generations. Be-tSotocame Be-tSotocame through this country in 1540, ancient Indian K centuries had been competing in stickball, a compe-10 compe-10 honored in time and custom and sq, intent in purpose 9 : clans had a blood revenge pattern, and there was one town of refuge (Echota) in which prospective victims vic-tims were inviolate. Many social taboos, including marrying, joking and other relationships, were defined de-fined by clan rules, which heightened height-ened rivalry of the ball games. Teams were carefully prepared for the contests, the rites including a purification of rackets at the river's riv-er's edge, salification of players with rattlesnake fangs and all-night dances. Today little remains of this, although elders sometimes still gather team members for conferences, confer-ences, the nature of which are not freely discussed. Young bucks, sophisticated so-phisticated by overseas service, laugh at the old superstitions, but the teams nevertheless usually emerge as a unit from the banks of the Occonaluftee just before going into action. isnnual gamM were sur-Itv sur-Itv secret rites and cere- j! of that ancient rivalry jannually as a highlight of fokee fall fair, although I games lack a lot of the L of aboriginal days. An s at this fall's fair was a game in which children's ton-.pcted for the first time Rough Is Right. pu itself, also played by Ban tribes in America, is lie roughest sports in the fsrerunner of lacrosse, it is mh a small ball, with 10 a side, each armed with II home-made rackets. The It propel the ball across a !. represented by two Willi Wil-li in the ground. The ball advanced in any manner -carried, thrown, passed j. Once on the ground, how-ny how-ny not be picked up except rackets. il makes Indian ball so ex-is ex-is simply the absence of Once a player has the It is fair game for any it treatment, including in. Stripped to trunks, the t run, tackle, wrestle, ind bite without let or ice. The rackets some-ire some-ire nsed in whacking op-B op-B over the head or across (is, He spectators see is some-it some-it this: ag teams march on the field each other in two lines individual opponents are t" sometimes after much !i Each man has a percent per-cent and they are mutu-(oasible mutu-(oasible for guarding their ' The ball, formerly a hick-Mossed hick-Mossed into the air, and is on. i player gets the ball, he Pops it into his mouth and I lor the goal. Opponents ged to run him down, I ball out of his mouth or 'discourage him. The team &8 12 goals is winner, "might last 30 minutes it "t all day. A player at-I at-I to tackle a ball-carrier is 1 Prompt tackling by his or anyone, and sometimes jwmei to a stalemate with M matches going on at 1 are no rest periods and 'ta'ions. If a player is dis- opposing team must disband dis-band the game continues. Ih field are "drivers," J men who are armed N switches. With these m loward the small and pare ball or to the "WOJ it, crying "hahni! ' '"here! here!"). They J empowered to beat any '' Player, but this privi-P privi-P is exercised nowa- '"Weptitiouj betting is done lams meet in midfleld. In lhe squawi were the I i- !'ing up wagers J unkets, cattle, baskets 15 eir shorn locks. dement of Culture. James were important in wrokee culture. Originally Pl clans, of which there 8al remains of four. The |
