Honoring traditions through music and Hand Games

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HURON — The Dakota Oyate Challenge is not just about competition, it is also important for many of the students that participate in basketball games, to come together in social settings and celebrate the history of their ancestors through activities such as the Hand Games.
Twenty-five teams competed in this year’s hand games, which took place all day Friday at the Huron Event Center.
Hand Games are derived from an old practice called the “Moccasin game,” developed through the indigenous families of many that joined in the games, in order to create harmony and friendship, which continues to be carried out with great importance today.
“Long ago our people played the Moccasin game, a game of hide, seek and songs,” said Hand Game coach Belinda F. Joe, from Crow Creek Tribal School. “It’s about coming together for a social game.”

“It would be a way to settle conflict or disputes between tribal bands,” Jeshua Estes from Lower Brule Tribal School added. “There are more than 100 styles of playing Hand Games, the two most common are Lakota style and Intertribal.”
The Intertribal style of Hand Games was played on Friday, by students from schools including Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Tiospa Zina, Tiospaye Topa, Flandreau, Marty, Omaha Nation, Lower Brule and Crazy Horse.
In this way of playing the Hand Game, two teams of up to ten players on each, aim to acquire “bones,” but the ultimate goal is to be in possession of the “kicker stick.” There is a guessing team and a hiding team, where the allocated “hider” will conceal the bone, while the “guesser” from the opposing team will try to predict which hand the bone is hidden in.
“The team that has the kicker stick wants to hold onto it; if you start as the team that has it and drop it then you forfeit,” Estes explained. “It’s like jumping for a ball, the team that gets the kicker stick first has it.”
With the fun activities also comes the great significance of music, Hand Games are always accompanied by rhythmic drums and singing from many years ago, that flow along with the energy of the game.
“There are many stories and songs that go with the games, a lot of the songs are very old,” Estes said. “It is a lot of fun and is all about competing with positive energy.”
An atmosphere of positivity, music, respect for one another filled the Dakota Room during the Hand Games, with the importance of honoring tradition.