It is not proposed to describe under this heading examples of those
athletic and gymnastic performances following the death of a person
which have been described by Lafitau, but simply to call attention to
a practice as a secondary or adjunct part of the funeral rites, which
consists in gambling for the possession of the property of the
defunct. Dr. Charles E. McChesney, U. S. A., who for some time was
stationed among the Wahpeton and Sisseton Sioux, furnishes a detailed
and interesting account of what is called the "ghost gamble." This is
played with marked wild-plum stones. So far as ascertained it is
peculiar to the Sioux.
"After the death of a wealthy Indian the near relatives take charge of
the effects, and at a stated time--usually at the time of the first
feast held over the bundle containing the lock of hair--they are
divided into many small piles, so as to give all the Indians invited
to play an opportunity to win something. One Indian is selected to
represent the ghost, and he plays against all the others, who are not
required to stake anything on the result, but simply invited to take
part in the ceremony, which is usually held in the lodge of the dead
person, in which is contained the bundle inclosing the lock of hair.
In cases where the ghost himself is not wealthy the stakes are
furnished by his rich friends, should he have any. The players are
called in one at a time, and play singly against the ghost's
representative, the gambling being done in recent years by means of
cards. If the invited player succeeds in beating the ghost he takes
one of the piles of goods and passes out when another is invited to
play, etc., until all the piles of goods are won. In cases of men only
the men play and in cases of women the women only take part in the
ceremony."
Before the white men came among these Indians and taught them many of
his improved vices this game was played by means of figured plum
seeds, the men using eight and the women seven seeds figured as
follows:
"Two seeds are simply blackened on one side the reverse containing
nothing. Two seeds are black on one side with a small spot of the
color of the seed left in the center, the reverse side having a black
spot in the center, the body being plain. Two seeds have a buffalo's
head on one side and the reverse simply two crossed black lines. There
is but one seed of this kind in the set used by the women. Two seeds
have half of one side blackened and the rest left plain so as to
represent a half moon, the reverse has a black longitudinal line
crossed at right angles by six small ones. There are six throws
whereby the player can win and five that entitle him to another throw.
The winning throws are as follows, each winner taking a pile of the
ghost's goods:
"Two plain ones up, two plain with black spots up, Buffalo's head up,
and two half moons up wins a pile. Two plain black ones up, two black
with natural spot up, two longitudinally crossed ones up, and the
transversely crossed one up wins a pile. Two plain black ones up, two
black with natural spots up, two half moons up, and the transversely
crossed one up wins a pile. Two plain black ones, two black with
natural spot up, two half moons up, and the buffalo's head up wins a
pile. Two plain ones up, two with black spots up, two longitudinally
crossed ones up, and the transversely crossed one up wins a pile. Two
plain ones up, two with black spots up, buffalo's head up, and two
long crossed up wins a pile. The following throws entitle to another
chance to win: two plain ones up, two with black spots up, one half
moon up, one longitudinally crossed one up, and Buffalo's head up
gives another throw, and on this throw if the two plain ones up and
two with black spots with either of the half moons or Buffalo's head
up, the player takes a pile. Two plain ones up, two with black spots
up, two half moons up, and the transversely crossed one up entitles to
another throw, when, if all of the black sides come up excepting one,
the throw wins. One of the plain ones up and all the rest with black
sides up gives another throw, and the same then turning up wins. One
of the plain black ones up with that side up of all the others having
the least black on gives another throw, when the same turning up again
wins. One half moon up with that side up of all the others having the
least black on gives another throw, and if the throw is then
duplicated it wins. The eighth seed, used by the men has its place in
their game whenever its facings are mentioned above. I transmit with
this paper a set of these figured seeds, which can be used to
illustrate the game if desired. These seeds are said to be nearly a
hundred years old, and sets of them are now very rare."
For assisting in obtaining this account Dr. McChesney acknowledges his
indebtedness to Dr C. C. Miller, physician to the Sisseton Indian
Agency.