Post by Okwes on Feb 1, 2006 10:42:53 GMT -5
Kids Korner: Staying Healthy The Traditional Way
Regrettably obesity or being overweight is a rising epidemic among our
native youth. This is leading to higher rates of diabetes, asthma and
other serious problems. As our kids exercise less and eat worse they
are losing not only their health but their connection to their customs
as well. We how can we help our children live better lives both
physically and culturally?
You can lose pounds by eating less and exercising more. The key is to
finding a way to motivate children into making this a life long choice.
Tying it to our Tribal traditions is one way to do that. Take your kids
to talk with their Elders and find out what they did as children, the
games they played, the foods they ate etc.
Many tribes spent hours in the river swimming, fishing cleaning all
burning calories. Go out into nature and collect traditional plants and
foods. Some tribes had games such as target shooting, ball tossing;
some were even long distance runners. Find out what your people did for
recreation and get active with your kids. In many tribes play had a
purpose other than enjoyment. All activities helped teach the child
something practical, something they needed to learn.
Don’t count calories or worry about the latest craze of high protein,
low carbs or whatever. Focus on eating whole foods, preferable
traditional things from your tribe. The more natural you can eat the
better nutrition you will provide. Offer healthy meals and snacks and
encourage regular physical activity, join them in moving around daily,
it will do you both good. Being a good role model is also important,
starting when your kids are young. This can help the whole family to be
healthy.
Here are some game ideas from the Chumash Tribe:
www.sierracanyon.pvt.k12.ca.us/school/chumash/games.html
Knucklebone Jack: Played with a bone, which occurs under the knee pan of
the cow or sheep. The bone is held pinched, between the thumb and
forefinger. The hand is quickly turned in a counter clockwise motion the
little bone being let go as one turns the hand, and the scores are made
according to where little bone falls.
Target shooting is when a bundle of tule or other brush about 4" by 1.5"
were the target for the bow and arrow. It was thrown on the ground about
40 feet away. If the arrow would go into half the length of the target,
the arrow was selected as good to use for big game. They stood the
bundle upon end, securing it by stakes. They would aim about the height
off a deer's throat. They also shot into creeks and streams aiming for
fish.
Hoop and Stick is a game in which a wooden, stone, or twig hoop was
rolled along the ground and a stick or spear was 6-in long thrown
through it. It was played to improve hand-eye coordination and hunting
skills. This game was often played by children learning how to hunt.
Their fathers often helped them and assisted in their learning.
Ring and Pin was a gaming device consisting of single or many rings made
from large acorn caps attached to a pointed wooden pin by means of short
length cordage. Sometimes a ball was used instead of a ring. This game
was played to improve hand-eye coordination for hunters and young boys.
Shinny was a popular Chumash game. It was often played in larger
villages or at a special gathering on a large flat field, as many as 2
or 3 hundred players played divided into two teams. Each team has facing
goal posts, and the players used shinny sticks. The object of the game
was to put the small wooden ball through the other team's goal post
using a shinny stick. At the end, the team with the most goals won.
A B the contestants ran a foot race while each kicked a ball with his
foot. Among the Chumash the players ran to a prescribed point and then
returned. In another version, posts were situated at one end of the
field while in yet another, the posts were placed anywhere on the field.
Teams were made up of one or two players.
Walnut shell die was one of a set of gaming pieces which were made from
walnut shell halves that usually had a filling with asphaltum and
decorated with beads or shells. These die were used in a game of chance.
Dice games were played differently throughout the region and by all
California Indians, not just Chumash.
Gaming counter was one of a uniform set of short or long sticks, often
made from sections of split reed stems in coastal areas and of willow or
elderberry inland. They were smoothed and pointed at one end. Gaming
counter was used in keeping score during various games of a chance.
Scoring varied from place to place. One way was based on odd and even
throws. The counter sticks were used to record the number of odd or even
shells showing after a throw.
Gambling tray was a very simple piece of equipment. It was a large,
flat, and rounded coiled basket on which dice were thrown during games
of chance. Some were very elaborate in their design. Many baskets were
multipurpose and also used for village chores.
For more info see:
www.ewebtribe.com/NACulture/games.htm
www.nativetech.org/games/index.php
www.inquiry.net/outdoor/native/games/
Regrettably obesity or being overweight is a rising epidemic among our
native youth. This is leading to higher rates of diabetes, asthma and
other serious problems. As our kids exercise less and eat worse they
are losing not only their health but their connection to their customs
as well. We how can we help our children live better lives both
physically and culturally?
You can lose pounds by eating less and exercising more. The key is to
finding a way to motivate children into making this a life long choice.
Tying it to our Tribal traditions is one way to do that. Take your kids
to talk with their Elders and find out what they did as children, the
games they played, the foods they ate etc.
Many tribes spent hours in the river swimming, fishing cleaning all
burning calories. Go out into nature and collect traditional plants and
foods. Some tribes had games such as target shooting, ball tossing;
some were even long distance runners. Find out what your people did for
recreation and get active with your kids. In many tribes play had a
purpose other than enjoyment. All activities helped teach the child
something practical, something they needed to learn.
Don’t count calories or worry about the latest craze of high protein,
low carbs or whatever. Focus on eating whole foods, preferable
traditional things from your tribe. The more natural you can eat the
better nutrition you will provide. Offer healthy meals and snacks and
encourage regular physical activity, join them in moving around daily,
it will do you both good. Being a good role model is also important,
starting when your kids are young. This can help the whole family to be
healthy.
Here are some game ideas from the Chumash Tribe:
www.sierracanyon.pvt.k12.ca.us/school/chumash/games.html
Knucklebone Jack: Played with a bone, which occurs under the knee pan of
the cow or sheep. The bone is held pinched, between the thumb and
forefinger. The hand is quickly turned in a counter clockwise motion the
little bone being let go as one turns the hand, and the scores are made
according to where little bone falls.
Target shooting is when a bundle of tule or other brush about 4" by 1.5"
were the target for the bow and arrow. It was thrown on the ground about
40 feet away. If the arrow would go into half the length of the target,
the arrow was selected as good to use for big game. They stood the
bundle upon end, securing it by stakes. They would aim about the height
off a deer's throat. They also shot into creeks and streams aiming for
fish.
Hoop and Stick is a game in which a wooden, stone, or twig hoop was
rolled along the ground and a stick or spear was 6-in long thrown
through it. It was played to improve hand-eye coordination and hunting
skills. This game was often played by children learning how to hunt.
Their fathers often helped them and assisted in their learning.
Ring and Pin was a gaming device consisting of single or many rings made
from large acorn caps attached to a pointed wooden pin by means of short
length cordage. Sometimes a ball was used instead of a ring. This game
was played to improve hand-eye coordination for hunters and young boys.
Shinny was a popular Chumash game. It was often played in larger
villages or at a special gathering on a large flat field, as many as 2
or 3 hundred players played divided into two teams. Each team has facing
goal posts, and the players used shinny sticks. The object of the game
was to put the small wooden ball through the other team's goal post
using a shinny stick. At the end, the team with the most goals won.
A B the contestants ran a foot race while each kicked a ball with his
foot. Among the Chumash the players ran to a prescribed point and then
returned. In another version, posts were situated at one end of the
field while in yet another, the posts were placed anywhere on the field.
Teams were made up of one or two players.
Walnut shell die was one of a set of gaming pieces which were made from
walnut shell halves that usually had a filling with asphaltum and
decorated with beads or shells. These die were used in a game of chance.
Dice games were played differently throughout the region and by all
California Indians, not just Chumash.
Gaming counter was one of a uniform set of short or long sticks, often
made from sections of split reed stems in coastal areas and of willow or
elderberry inland. They were smoothed and pointed at one end. Gaming
counter was used in keeping score during various games of a chance.
Scoring varied from place to place. One way was based on odd and even
throws. The counter sticks were used to record the number of odd or even
shells showing after a throw.
Gambling tray was a very simple piece of equipment. It was a large,
flat, and rounded coiled basket on which dice were thrown during games
of chance. Some were very elaborate in their design. Many baskets were
multipurpose and also used for village chores.
For more info see:
www.ewebtribe.com/NACulture/games.htm
www.nativetech.org/games/index.php
www.inquiry.net/outdoor/native/games/