HURON — At the Dakota Oyate Challenge 2018, held Thursday through Saturday at the Huron Event Center, participating schools also engaged in “Hand Games,” among other activities.
Schools from Lower Brule Indian, Crazy Horse, Marty Indian, Omaha Nation, Flandreau Indian, Tiospaye Topa, Tiospa Zina and Takini came to Huron for the weekend to participate.
Hand Games consist of two teams, with between five and ten players on each team, while traditional music of drums and signing is enjoyed.
It is a traditional game, which involves each team hiding bones in order to earn sticks, while the other team attempts to guess where the bone is hidden.
Judges keep track of the games’ progress throughout the day in order to award three teams the top places in the tournament.
“Hu Hu Icupi,” which translates to “Bone Takers,” was the name of the winning team from Tiospa Zina Tribal School.  

Each team has a set of ten sticks, plus a kick stick and four bones - two marked and two bare. As players take turns hiding the marked bone, the other team assigns someone to guess whether the bone was hidden to the players’ left or right.  
In order to win, one of the teams had to play for and collect all 11 sticks, under the watchful eye of the head judge.
Respect is vital with Hand Games, in terms of playing along with the rules, and a mandatory hand shake between teams after games. These games are passed down in order to continue the traditions of the culture among the younger generations and beyond.
Another attraction at the Huron Event Center this weekend was the Archery tournament. Students from elementary to high school took their shots from different distances, some were experienced shooters and others were taking their first shots on the day.
This life changing skill encourages the students to practice precision, and is known as a “heeling sport,” as nothing negative is said during practice.
Students were awarded first, second and third place prizes, in different divisions.
Other things to enjoy at the event center included booths and vendors set up in the halls with various handmade items and activities, including a cartoonist and more.

Photos by Angelina Della Rocco of the Plainsman

A young lady entrertains herself with a ball attached to an elastic cord Friday afternoon at the Huron Event Center. Teams begin a round of Hand Games, a traditional Native American game of hiding and guessing. Hand Games was one of the activities taking place during the Dakota Oyate Challenge. A caricature artist works on a portrait for a customer at one of the many vendors set up for the tournament.