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TUl^JAY, OCT. 6. 1987
e Travelers Explore Past: An Exciting Way To Learn About Mississippi History
hoctaws play ‘little brother of war’ - stickball
Chapter 9 BY BILL BAILEY As the saucer pulled away from Long Town and left the Chickasaw medicine man behind, Finny fidgeted with the dials on the dash. “The next tribe we’ll visit will be the Choctaws,” he said. “They are called ‘the brothers of the Chickasaws’ because they spoke a similar language and had similar customs and traditions.
‘The Choctaws weren’t fierce warriors like the Chickasaws. Instead they were friendly and peaceful and were some of the best farmers of all the Indians in the area.
“Also, they were the largest tribe in the area which is now Mississippi. It is estimated there were about 15,000 to 20,000 of them in the year 1700. “Probably more than any of the Indians in this area, they loved games and recreation.”
“You mean, like football?’’asked Billy.
“Kind of, but not exactly,” said Finny. “It’s one of those things that’s easier to show than tell.”
Setting the dial for Neshoba County, Finny punched a button. Once again the boys were slung back in their seats by the sudden acceleration as they went spinning through time, when they emerged from the hazy world of color, they saw below them a Choctaw village, built around a clearing. The houses were small and round, with mud walls.
Indian Crossword
10
11
In the clearing was the wildest, most incredible spectacle the boys had ever seen. A huge throng of Choctaw men were running around, smashing into each other and chasing after one little leather ball. Unlike the Chickasaws who shaved the sides of their heads, the Choctaws had long hair, which streamed behind them as they pursued the ball.
They threw and caught the ball with leather cups which were attached to the ends of sticks. Like modern-day cheerleaders, the women on both sidelines danced in s line and .screamed encouragement to their teams. Also on the sidelines was a huge pile of furs, skins, and ornaments which Finny said were being bet on the game.
“It’s the Choctaws’ favorite game - stickball,” said Finny. “Sometimes called the little brother of war because it was so fierce. As you can see, it was played on a grand scale, with hundreds of Choctaw men. And they played for several days until a team scored 100 points. By the way, a goal was scored by tossing the ball through the uprights at either end of the field.”
“Cheerleaders, betting on the game, goalposts at the ends of the field - it sounds like football,” said Billy.
“Only stickball was much rougher and more dangerous than football or any other sport we play today,” said Finny. “For one thing there were no shoulder pads or helmets. And for another, there were so many players, you could get stampeded to
were stuck on the ends of
posts oq the Natchez’ temple mound.
5.	It was considered to be an----------
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to be killed along with the Great Sun.
6.	The body of a dead Choctaw was placed on
a-------------------.
7.	The sacred--------------------was not allow-
ed to go out.
9.	When Indians died, they believed their
souls went to a----------------------world.
10.	The Great Sun shows the sun how to travel
from the east to the-----------------------.
11.	The---------------------were here when the
white man came.
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1.	The ruler of the Natchez was believed to be
descended from the---------------------.
2.	The-------------------were made to do all
the work.
3.	The-------------------picked the flesh off of
the bones of the Choctaw dead.
4.	The------------------were the best Indian
farmers in this part of the country.
8.	There were three wooden----------------------
attached to the top of the temple.
death.”
“You don’t mean, people actually got killed out there, do you?” asked Jeff.
“I’m afraid so,” said Finny. “It was not unusual for two or three Indians to die in a game. The Choctaws, like all of the Indians, placed a great value on courage, whether it was on the battlefield or on a ballfield.”
Jeff and Billy watched the frantic clashing of bodies all over the field in amazement. Choctaws collided at breakneck speed and slung the ball incredibly long distances with great accuracy. The slamming of bodies against bodies took its toll as Indians fell with broken arms and legs and wounded heads.
One player leapt high in the air to snag a pass. Turning and throwing in one motion, he was tackled by about 20 Indians. The ball dribbled into the crowd of spectators.
Even on the sidelines, the brutal action continued. As the players went into the crowd after the ball, they were kicked and tripped by the spectators. The judges ran over and beat some of the crowd back with sticks.
The action continued at a furious pace until finally a player tossed the ball through the uprights for a point. Then he threw back his head and began to gobble like a turkey. “Hey, that’s even better than spiking the ball in the end zone,” said Billy, laughing at such a strange sight.
The Indian’s team crowded around him and cheered wildly. Several wounded Indians, two of whom were either unconscious or dead, were lifted from the field.
Now Finny caused the saucer to veer behind some trees away from the action, making sure he wasn’t spotted this time.
The highly respected job of bonepicking
“Now, it’s time to visit a calmer scene. But one that’s every bit as unusual as the stickball game,” said Finny, turning the dial. This caused the saucer to jump forward a couple of weeks, with a quick spin.
Below them now the boys no longer saw a stickball game. Instead, the Choctaws were going about their daily routine. Like in the Chickasaw village, the women were doing most of the work. Many women and a handful of men were working in the corn fields. “As I told you, the Choctaws were the best farmers in this part of the country,” said Finny.
Passing near one hut, Finny brought the saucer lower, saying, “Now here’s something I want you to get a close look at. The Choctaws were very unique in the way they buried their dead. They used bonepickers.”
“What was a bonepicker?” asked Jeff.
“You see that platform there?” asked Finny, pointing. Jeff and Billy looked down at a wooden platform sitting on some poles. It looked kind of like a tree house. On top of it a man was groaning and making horrible faces as he bent over someone.
“What’s going on?” asked Billy. “Who’s that guy on the platform and what’s he doing to that other man?”
“That’s the bonepicker,” said Finny. “He’s picking the flesh off that dead man’s body. It’s all part of their burial practices.”
“Ooh, yuk!” said Jeff. “Gross me out!” exclaimed Billy. “I think I’m going to get sick.”
“The bonepicker was greatly respected, like the medicine man,” said Finny. “Can you see his fingers?”
“Yeah,” said Jeff, his eyes bulging. “I’ve never seen fingernails that long in my life.”
“Well, one thing’s sure,” said Finny. “This guy doesn’t bite his nails. You wouldn’t either, would you?”
“No way,” laughed Jeff, making a face.
“He doesn’t trim his nails either,” said Finny. “In fact, he even has women feed him his food in order not to break those precious nails.
“He needs those nails for his job. You see, that dead man’s body has been up there on the platform for a couple of months. It’s been wrapped in a bear skin to keep the birds from eating it.
“Now that it has become good and rotten, it’s time for the bonepicker to pick the bones clean of all flesh. He will tie up the flesh in a bundle and leave it on the platform. Then he’ll set fire to it.
“But the bones will be placed in a box and stored in the village bonehouse. After a while they will be buried, along with ornaments and weapons, in a mound.”
“Why did they have things like ornaments and weapons buried with them? It seems like a waste,” said Billy.
“Because, like other Indians, they thought they could take earthly things with them when their souls went to the Spirit world,” said Finny. “That’s why these burial mounds make such excellent places for archaeologists to dig and study about the Indians. They contain pottery, arrowheads, and other items that were buried along with the bones.”
“Boy,” said Jeff as the saucer moved away from the Choctaw village, “I can’t get over that bonepicker. What a weird thing to do.”
“If you think the Choctaws were weird,” said Finny, “then there’s no telling what you’ll think about the next tribe we’re going to see.”
As the saucer sped away, Finny said, “Let’s leave the Choctaws - land of stickball players, farmers and bonepickers. And on to see the Natchez - easily the most unusual Indians in this part of the country.”