KUTEPUSHKUNUPUTUK - STICK GUESSING GAME
This game is known to the Cree as "the game of counting
sticks". Like most of the Cree games for adults, this game involves
gambling. It is generally played by the women.
EQUIPMENT
- Thirty-nine peeled twigs, each about eighteen inches
in length.
HOW TO PLAY
- Only two people play the game. One player begins by rolling
the bundle of twigs between her hands. She then divides them into two bundles,
holding one in each hand. Crossing her arms, she extends the bundle toward
her opponent.
- Her opponent attempts to guess which bundle contains
an even number of twigs. If she guesses incorrectly, the two players change
roles. However, if she is successful, she gains a point and is allowed
to guess again.
- If she makes three correct guesses, she is allowed to
try for game point. A correct guess wins the game and the wager.
VARIATIONS
- Team Play: in team play, opponents sit facing each other.
Each member plays against only one opponent. If the guesser is correct,
her team gets one point and the person next in line becomes the guesser.
If she is wrong, the divider's team wins the point and the right to guess.
