Arapaho History

Hand game is also known as guessing game in Arapaho. Arapaho also named Inuna-Ina. This nation was from much farther east and they moved to the westward in the America, and Arapaho separated three groups during they moved, which is The Gros Ventre, The Arapaho and the main northern group. Arapaho is developing the bison-hunting economy. The major ritual of Arapaho is a complex form of Sun dance and it is similar to the Plains region.
The hand game is a funny entertainment game and popular throughout the Plains. The playing method of Hand game is all players face to each other. Then, one player hides the object on he or she’s back and switches them try to confuse the other player. If the other player guesses correctly, he or she will gain a
stick and turn to the next section. This game usually played by two or more people, and the players divide into several groups. During this game, we can also hear the song is accompanied by sing and drumming. When one group is hiding the song will be sung and then the other group is trying to guess. Singers are the participants in the hand game and the lyric is about the action of the game. The purpose of the song is a singer trying to distract the player and confuse them. The rule of winner can be different from group to group. But most of time is the winner is who hold the most sticks in the group.
Hand game also called Moccasin game.
According to the “Moccasin Game History,” this game can date back to late 1700’s or early 1800’s. Once upon time, there are two hunter warriors hunting meat for the winter. However, two hunter warriors saw the elk together. These two hunter warriors were from different tribes with different language and culture, and sometimes they argued with each other about the land and hunting right. They were aware of that there would be lots of blood if the battles start. Therefore, one of the hunters suggested that play a game to decide the winner, and the winner could take everything from the loser, even his life. “But after playing this game for a long time, the two warrior hunters became friends and agreed that this was the way they should settle future disputes. But after playing this game for a long time, the two warrior hunters became friends and agreed that this was the way they should settle future disputes.” After reading this history, I felt respect for the warrior hunter’s wisdom and thought about the war happened in our earth. Many countries battle each other because of natural resources or territory. Many innocent people and children lose their families and home, even life through the war. Why the governor cannot solve the problem peaceful?
Arapaho music is special in the Plain. After listening the music “Arapaho Handgame Song,” I heard people repeating the song and the song was bright. Base on our textbook mentioned that “each phrase in the older song rhythmically consists of three measures when placed in the Western notation, rather than the irregular or four-bar lengths that most traditional Plain song use.” The hand game is a funny game for people nowadays. But in the late 1800s and early 1900s, this game was used to predict the future among the
Pawnee.
This is what I learnt about the Hand game and I believe people should protect the Arapaho culture. This was not only a funny game for Arapaho people, but also contains the wisdom of solve out the dispute from the ancestor.