 The
Ta-bé Game
This ball game was known to a number of tribes that formerly
lived on the prairies, and called by different names. The game
as here given is as it was played among the Omaha. The opening
of the game was ceremonial. The person who performed the opening
ceremony had to belong to the tribal group that had charge of
the rites pertaining to the Wind, for the figure outlined on
the ground by the movements of the ball in the opening ceremony
was one of the symbols of the Wind. The Wind when spoken of ceremonially
was called the Four Winds, one for each of the four points of
the compass. These Four Winds were regarded as the messengers
of the Giver of Life, known as Wakon'da by the Omaha and kindred
tribes. The recognition of man's connection with the forces of
Nature did not disturb the pleasure of the Indian when entering
upon a game; on the contrary, it tended to enhance his happiness
by bringing to his mind his dependence upon Wakon'da, together
with the feeling of being in accord with the power represented
by the Wind.
Properties.—A ball about three or four inches in
diameter; the Omaha and kindred tribes made the ball out of the
root of the wild-grape vine. As many sticks as there are players,
the sticks to be about three feet long and crooked over at one
end. Each stick should be marked by some design invented by its
owner, so that each player can identify his stick.
Directions.—A wide open field is best for this
game. Two goals, one at the East, the other at the West. The
goals are each made by two posts with a cross piece on top. The
path of the ball is East and West.
The officers of the game are: an Umpire, four Guardians of the
Path. Two of the Guardians of the Path stand at the eastern goal
and two at the western goal. The two Guardians at a goal represent
the two sides; one wears a yellow streamer or badge, the color
of the West; the other wears a red streamer or badge, the color
of the East. A red streamer is tied to the goal at the East and
a yellow streamer to the goal at the West. It is the duty of
the one who wears the color of the goal by which he stands to
try and help the ball through the goal when it comes in that
direction, and it is the duty of the one who wears the color
of the opposite goal to prevent the ball from going through and
to send it back into the field or toward the other goal.
The players on the two sides are chosen in the following manner:
The person who is to act as Umpire and to perform the opening
ceremony must sit in a circle drawn on the ground, about six
feet in diameter, and face either the North or the South. All
the sticks are placed before him in a bunch. He is then blindfolded.
After that he picks up a stick with each hand and lays down the
stick that he has in his right hand on his left side, the stick
that he has in his left hand he lays down on his right side.
When he has finished dividing the sticks in this manner they
are in two bunches, one toward the East and the other toward
the West. The blindfold is then removed. When that is done, all
the players run to the two heaps and each takes his own stick,
recognizing it by the design marked or cut upon the stick. All
those whose sticks were in the pile to the East must tie on a
badge or streamer the color of the East, red. All those whose
sticks were in the bunch toward the West must tie on the color
of the West, yellow.
All the players must now stand in two lines. One line starts
from the circle and extends directly toward the goal at the East;
all in this line must be only those whose sticks were in the
east pile and who have on the color of the East, red. The other
line starts from the circle and stretches out toward the west
goal, and is composed of those whose sticks were in the west
pile and who have on the color of the West, yellow. The four
Guardians of the Path take their places. The Umpire wears no
color. All being in readiness, the Umpire advances to the middle
of the circle.
The Opening Ceremony
The Umpire places the ball in the exact center of the circle,
then he gently urges it with his stick in a line toward the North
until it reaches the edge of the circle. There he picks it up
and puts it back in the center of the circle. Again he gently
pushes it with his stick along a line toward the South until
the edge of the circle is reached, when he returns the ball to
the center of the circle with his hand. In the same manner as
before he sends the ball slowly along a line to the West. When
the edge of the circle is reached he picks up the ball and returns
it to the center. Once more the ball is moved in a line, this
time to the East; when it touches the line of the circle it is
picked up as before and placed in the center of the circle. The
symbolic figure that has thus been made is that of a circle within
which two straight lines cross each other at right angles; the
circle is divided into four quarters, one for each of the Four
Winds.
The Game
Every player now stands at attention, with his stick ready for
action. The Umpire pauses a moment at the center of the circle,
then he picks up the ball lying there and throws it into the
air as high as he can. All the players, who have watched the
throw, run in the direction where the ball seems likely to descend,
in order to have a chance to strike it toward one of the goals.
To win the game the ball must be sent through a goal; to strike
it so that it goes over or around the goal does not count. The
ball must be made to take a straight line, to "make a straight
path" through a goal, then the game is won. When a good shot
is made, all on the side of the one who made the stroke should
send up a shout. When the goal is won the winning side should
give the victory cry of the game, "Ta-bé!" |
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